Cavalier driving habits like cell phone use, rubber necking or putting on make up has caused auto accident rates to increase. In fact, distracted drivers account for 98 percent of most collisions. This is significant knowledge, as automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of thirty five.
But we can’t just blame cell phones or even a drinking and driving alone for the lack of attentiveness that is the catalyst of horrific accidents that claim thousands of lives annually.
Prevalent driving distractions
Almost all of us are guilty at some time or other of breaking basic driving rules. The reason for this is clear - most of us, as we grow more accustomed to driving, lose respect for the inherent hazards that come with driving hundred of miles per hour in a hurtling metallic object. Losing this appreciation is one the main ways that distraction, and car accidents, can occur.
The top driving distractions outside of cell phone use cited for causing accidents are:
- Changing out the CD or changing radio stations - we all love to listen to tunes as we drive, but an accident can happen in the time it takes to bat an eye - the same amount of time it takes to reach for your favorite CD.
- Driving well above the speed limit - this appears to be a growing phenomenon that will have, and has had, deadly consequences.
- Engaging in activities while driving - Reading, putting on cosmetics or using the laptop while driving; people have done these things and more. While these activities seem innocuous, enough people who do this while operating a motor vehicle dramatically increase their risk of causing an accident.
- Eating and drinking - one doesn’t have to drink alcohol for drinking to be a hazard—the simple ritual of placing to the beverage to mouth can divert ones attention long enough to cause an accident. Eating can also be distracting and in fact, can double a motorist’s chances of getting in a wreck.
Ways to prevent an accident
There are bumper stickers everyone that screams ‘HANG UP AND DRIVE’ but the reality is, we have cell phones on us for a number of reasons so this simple admonition won’t work.
What we can do is try to view a cell phone as an emergency tool that we do not associate with driving. Tell those who will call you during hours not to call unless it is important and keep your phone on vibrate. If you worry that the call could be an emergency, pull into a parking lot and take the call.
Below are a few other things you can do to decrease your likelihood of getting in an accident.
- Slow Down - everyone has somewhere to go, and on any given day, it may be imperative to get somewhere on time. However, if you wind up dead, time will be of little consequence. There is no place you have to be, except for extreme emergency situations, that is worth putting yourself and others in danger.
- Keep your hands on the wheel - changing the CD or eating can be detrimental in a situation where reaction time is key. It is best to keep both hands on the wheel at all times.
Changing attitudes
There seems to be a sense of entitlement that comes with certain driving behaviors. People hate being told they can’t speed or talk on the phone as they drive. This attitude persists despite growing numbers that indicate that this is making our nations roads less safe.
Education is the key, so learn what you can and do what you are able to decrease your own chances of causing an accident. If everyone did this, traffic fatalities may actually decrease and the nation’s highways could become a bit safer.
